Under the Fireflies
by LittlePeopleKnow
Summary: It was always Carl and Amanda, Amanda and Carl. There was no either or. They were a package deal. Like salt and pepper, ketchup and mustard, or night and day. It was always the two of them. If only it could stay like that forever... Carl/OC Rated T for language
1. Chapter 1

**Wassup? I decided to rewrite my Carl/Amanda story. I think I moved things wayyy to fast, so I decided to slow it down a little. This takes place a few months before the apocalypse. I'm gonna have a few chapters before, so you can get to know Amanda and her relationships with the other characters. I hope you enjoy'**

**I only own Amanda, her friends, and my plot.**

Amanda

My right leg bounced around under my desk, my pencil wiggling in my hand. Five minutes, five minutes. I could do five minutes. My language arts teacher, Ms. Griffin droned away at the front of the classroom, but her words went in one ear and out the other.

My table mate, Kelsie Hotz, nudged me with her knee. She motioned with her head across the classroom, and my eyes rested on my best friend, Carl Grimes.

He tapped his finger on his iPhone, nodding at mine. I have him a queer look, but picked up my own iPhone, wrapped in a sky-blue case. Hitting the home button, a single message popped up.

Carl Grimes: Wanna go to the barn tonight?

Amanda Harrison: Who all's going?

Carl Grimes: Hold up...

Kelsie Hotz, Ryan Sherrard, Hunter Geary, Alaria Welsh, Erin Leafgreen, and Jacob Stoble have been added to the imessage.

Ryan Sherrard: Sup losers?

Alaria Welsh: Ryan! That's not nice.

Ryan Sherrard: Who needs nice when you have sexy?

Kelsie Hotz: Oh my God...

Erin Leafgreen: LOL!

Hunter Geary: So barn tonight?

Jacob Stoble: I'm in.

Kelsie Hotz: Sure.

Alaria Welsh: Yay!

Erin Leafgreen: I'll go!

Carl Grimes: I'm coming!

Amanda Harrison: Why not?

Ryan Sherranrd: What could go wrong?

Carl Grimes: A lot of things, if you're going.

Amanda Harrison: Ooooo kill em!

Jacob Stobel: BUURRNNNNN!

Hunter Geary: The bells gonna ring in a minute. Be at the barn at seven?

Amanda Harrison: Deal. Byeeeee.

All members have left the conversation.

Carl Grimes: That went well.

Amanda Harrison: Yup.

* * *

"SUMMER MOTHER FU-"

"Okay, that's enough." I clapped a hand over Ryan's mouth.

The eight of us had just gotten off of the bus, and were walking through the neighborhood to get to our houses. It was finally summer vacation. The thing everybody had been waiting for since school began in August.

"We know you're excited, Ryan, but I don't think old Mts. Pickett will find that an adequate excuse." I mutter through tight lips, smiling and waving at our elderly neighbor, Mrs. Pickett.

"Awwww, Amanda quit being a buzzkill." Ryan elbowed me.

I elbowed him back, "I'm not being a buzzkill, I just don't want you to get in trouble!"

"See you at seven!" Alaria called. She, Hunter, Kelsie and Jacob had turned down Birch street. Carl, Erin, Ryan and I surged forward down Pine street. Erin turned off first, her house being second on the right. Ryan crossed to the left side of the street, and entered the house third on the left. Carl and I walked in comfortable science to the end of the coldesac, where our house stood side by side.

"See you at seven." Carl flashed me a grin, which I returned shortly there after.

"See ya."

I walked up the driveway, being careful to go around the RV sitting in our driveway. It belonged to Dale Hovrath, an old friend of the family. He came to live in our driveway with me and my sisters shortly after our parents died. Dale was like a dad to me. Or a grandpa. So wise and caring, full of advise and hope.

"AAAAMMMMYYYYYY!" I called into the house, "IM HOMEEE!"

"I CAN HEAR THAT!" My sister's voice calls from the kitchen.

I smirk, tossing my backpack into a basket by the doorway.

"How was your last day?" Amy asks as I plop down at the kitchen table beside her. She has iced tea in one hand, and a book about Greek mythology in the other.

"It was good. We watched a movie I every class but language arts." I told her, grabbing a peach from the bowl in the table. "Ms. Griffin made us review everything we had learned all year in that class."

Amy winced, "Yeah, she sucks. She hated me when I had her."

"I've herd." I mutter drily.

Amy laughs, "Go wash that off."

She means my peach. I get up from the table with a sigh and walk to the sink.

"Where's Andrea?" I ask over the sound of running water.

"She went to the store. She and I are making a cake for the barn party tonight. Are you gonna go?" Amy asks me.

I sink my teeth into the juicy peach. "Yeah. Carl, Ryan, Alaria, Kelsie, Erin, Hunter, and Jacob are going, too."

"What are you gonna wear?" Amy takes a sip of her tea.

"Um, this?" I ask, looking down at my blue t-shirt and jean capris.

"What?" Amy sounds appalled. "Amanda, it's a party. You can't be a tomboy all of the time."

"I bet my friends aren't dressing up!" I protest.

Amy raises an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

She shrugs. "Why don't you ask them?"

"I will!" I whip my phone out from my back pocket and hit the power button.

Amanda Harrison: Are you guys dressing up for tonight?

Erin Leafgreen: Duh. It's a party.

Alaria Welsh: I am!

Kelsie Hotz: Me too.

Amanda Harrison: Oh. Okay, see you at seven.

Erin Leafgreen: Byeee!

Kelsie Hotz: See ya.

Alaria Welsh: Bye!

I put my phone back into my pocket and sigh.

"I guess you're right."

Amy laughs, "Awwww. It's okay, sis. I'll help you. Go get in the shower."

I smile and run up the steps.

* * *

"Where's my curling iron?" Amy asks.

I sit on a stool next to Amy's vanity in an oversized pajama shirt and underwear. She's already blow-dried my waist-length hair so it hands in a smooth curtain, but I guess that isn't enough for Amy.

"Found it!" she yelps from the bathroom, making me jump.

Twenty long minutes later, my hair sits in tiny blonde ringlets. Amy waterfall braided part of it, to keep it out of my face.

"What should I wear?" I ask, oddly giddy as I stare at the girl in my reflection.

"I was thinking maybe your jean shorts and that white tank top? It's long, so you can tuck it in and wear you brown belt. And maybe your cowboy boots?" she suggests.

I smile, "Perfect."

I thrown on the outfit and fun back into Amy's room.

"Well?" I ask, spinning a circle.

"Lovely." Amy giggles, "Come here, let's do your makeup."

Amy brushes a glittery eye-shadow over my lids, a bit of liquid liner above my eyes, some sparkly pink blush against my cheekbones, and finishes of with a sheer, shiny lip gloss.

I can hardly recognize myself.

"Woah..." I tough my face, and the mirrior-me, the pretty me, does too.

Amy laughs. "Go help Andrea make the cake. I have to get ready, too."

I run down the steps. "Andrea!"

"Hey little sis!" Andrea hugs me when she sees me.

"How do I look?" I spin a circle.

"Beautiful. I bet all of those boys you hang out with will be speechless." She says.

I blush, "Yeah, right."

"It's true! You look so grown up. My new almost-eighth-grader!" Andrea twirls me around.

I laugh. "I can't BELIVE how fast seventh grade went by."

"Yeah, well eighth grade goes by even faster." Andrea tells me.

"I just don't know if I want it to." I whisper.

"I know how you feel." Andrea runs a hand over my cheek. "Now come on! We have a cake to make!"

* * *

"Blue or yellow?" Amy asks. Andrea and I sit on her bed, helping her decide what to wear.

"Blue." I say, "It brings out your eyes."

"Agreed." Andrea fist-bumps me.

Amy shakes her head and laughs, "Blue it is then."

Amy comes put of her bathroom a minute later with a blue sundress on. It's strapless, and goes a little past her knees.

"Well?" She ask.

"Perfect."

Andrea wears a navy blue and white striped maxidress, and does her hair in a side braid. Amy wear set hair straight.

I look at the clock. 6:50. It takes us a little less than ten minutes to walk to the barn.

"Let's go!" I call up to my sisters.

They come down the steps, pretty as a picture. We meet the Grimes family outside. Carl wears a red and black plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up over a white t-shirt and jeans. His eyes widen when he sees me, making my face go red.

"Hey, Carl." I say.

"Uh, hi. You look... Really good." He manages.

I laugh. "So do you."

He visibly relaxes.

"Hi Lori! Hi Rick!" I greet Carl's parents.

The six of us walk down the street to the barn.

Its a little after seven when we arrive. Lanterns hang from the ceiling inside the old barn in the field behind main street. Fire flies flit around, making the decor seem even more impressive. All of King's County seems to be there. Carl and I climb the ladder to the hay loft. Our friends, along with many other middle schoolers, sit perched up on the hay, talking and laughing.

Carl and I are greeted warmly.

"Let's play truth or dare!" Erin suggests.

We all agree.

"Ryan! Truth or dare?" Erin asks.

"Truth."

"Out of all of the girls here, who would you want to dance with when the music plays later tonight?"

Ryan blushes "Alaria..."

Alaria blushes, too. "I'll dance with you, Ryan." She whispers.

They both stare at the floor as the rest of us try not to go "DAWWWWW!"

"Carl! Truth or dare?" Ryan asks once he's gained his composure.

"Truth."

"Who do you think looks prettiest tonight? Amanda, Alaria, Erin, or Kelsie?"

"Amanda." Carl says without hesitation.

I blush. He thinks I look pretty?

"Ooooo, somebody has a crush!" Hunter pokes Carl.

"No," Carl says casually, "Ryan would get jealous if I said Amanda, Kelsie would punch me if I chose her, and Erin is already taken by Jacob."

Oh. So he doesn't think I'm pretty. "Gee thanks Carl." I say.

"No! You do look pretty! It's just..."

"I'm not the prettiest. I get it." I choke back a sob. Why am I so upset over this?

"That's not what I-"

"No, it's okay. Nobody calls me pretty anyway. It's not a big deal." I manage a smile. "Who's turn is it?"

* * *

An hour later, the dancing starts. Carl, Kelsie, Hunter and I watch from the hayloft as our friends and parents dance below us.

"Aren't they cute?" Kelsie asks me.

"Which ones?"

"Ryan and Alaria."

She's right. Ryan and Alaria dance awkwardly off to the side, blushing and staring at the ground. Erin and Jacob are more confident, dancing in the middle of the room, folded into eachothers arms

"Yeah. They are." I say.

"By the way, Amanda. You really are pretty." Kelsie tells me.

"Sure."

"No, really." Kelsie looks at me sternly through her glasses, "You're gorgeous. People are just intimidated by you."

I smile. "Thanks, Kels."

"Anytime." She hugs me.

"Ummm... Kelsie?" Hunter clears his throat behind us.

"Yes?" She asks, turning to him.

He holds out a hand, "Do you want to dance?"

She looks at me. I wave her off.

"Sure." She grabs his hand and he helps her up, and the two of them climb down the ladder onto the dance floor.

"God, we're such loners." I say, scooting closer to Carl.

He snorts. "I know right?"

"Forever alone." I moan dramatically.

He laughs, "Hey, about earlier... You really are pretty."

I look at him, eyebrows raised.

"I'm serious! You are beautiful. Gorgeous. Prettiest girl I know." He tucks a strand of loose hair behind my ear, making me shiver.

"Thanks." I whisper.

"Anytime."

We sit like that for a while, me and him. The other couples dance below us. Amy dances with a boy named Jack, and Andrea dances with Shane Walsh. Our friends dance together, their parents dance together. But Carl and I sit in the hayloft, the only two people not dancing.

Carl touches my hand. I look up at him.

"You wanna dance?" He asks.

"You and me?" I ask in suprise.

"As friends." He adds quickly.

"Oh. Okay."

We unpeel ourselves from the hayloft and go down the ladder.

I put my hands on his shoulders and he puts his hands on my waist.

Nothing Left to Say Now by Imagine Dragons plays from the speakers. Before we even start moving, the song ends, and a new one starts playing. It's Firework by Katy Perry. Alaria's hand latches onto my arm, pulling me away from Carl.

The girls and I dance near the boys. I'm spun around by Hunter, passed off to Ryan, to Jacob, and to Carl. Then the cycle starts again. It goes on like that for at least another hour, song after song.

At ten o'clock, the last song plays. It's a slow song. "Lucky" by Jason Maraz and Colby Calliet.

"I think I owe you a dance?" A voice says from behind me.

Carl. I smile "Yes, I think you do."

He takes my waist and I wrap my arms around his neck. We away to the music. I rest my head on his shoulder.

"You are something else, Amanda Harrison." He whispers into my ear.

"As are you, Carl Grimes. As are you."

And the fireflies illuminate the darkness. All was well. For now.


	2. Chapter 2

**sup. So just a quick thing, it's obviously going to be a little different when Carl finds out his dad's been shot. That's it, really. Oh! And I don't own anything but the plot and my OC's. Enjoy. :)**

Amanda

"So! Here we are, once again for capture the flag!" Chris Leawood, a sophomore at the local high school, paced down the row of children from ages six to sixteen. It was the day offer the party, and all of the kids had made their way down to the field by the barn at about noon. It was time for capture the flag.

"This year, me and Addie Fletcher will be team captains." Chris said. Addie Fletcher, a freshman of 4'11 stepped of of line and joined Chris.

"I'll take first pick." Addie said.

Chris nodded in approval.

"Hunter Geary!" Addie shouted. Hunter was the best guard in all of capture the flag history.

"Carley Davidson!" Chris chose his girlfriend.

"Amanda Harrison!" I smirked, going to join Hunter. I was the stealthiest player, also the bed flag-hider.

"Matt Garcia!" Chris chose his best friend.

In the end, the teams ended up like this.

Team Addie:

Hunter Geary (guard),Amanda Harrison (hider/spy), Carl Grimes (spy),Alaria Welsh (runner), Kelsie Hotz (runner), Erin Leafgreen (Spy), Jacob Stobel (Gaurd), Ryan Sherrard (Gaurd), Eliza Morales, Louis Morales, Sophia Peltier,Clementine Everett, Duck, Lizzie Samules, Mika Samules, Patrick Goldpepper, and Luke Pentward.

Team Chris: pretty much all of the high schoolers.

Chris had chosen for friendship and sturdiness. Addie had chosen for strategy.

"Teams! Time for training! We meet back here at four o'clock!"

* * *

"Carl, where's the war paint?" Our team had taken up base in the barn. Erin was passing out ties to everyone. They would serve as those flag-football belts we use in school for PE.

"Here." Carl sets two jars of face paint next to me.

I roll my eyes. "I can't do it myself, doofus."

He sighs, dipping his fingers into the purple jar first. With one long motion, he spreads the paint under my eyes. Then, he uses red to put little dots above and below the purple.

"What's your symbol again?" Carl asks me.

Every kid in Kings County has a war paint symbol. It's giving to you at your first capture the flag game, when you're six.

"It's a red dot, outlined with purple and with another tiny purple dot inside. Oh, and it has little red lines coming out of it, like a sun." I explain. He paints the symbol onto my forehead. I look at his. It's a purple swirl inside of a red circle, with long purple lines and short red lines extending from it.

Above my symbol, Carl uses his pinkie finger to paint seven dots, alternating colors. They stand for the seven years I've been playing capture the flag.

"You're good." Carl tells me. I stand up off of the hay bale I was sitting on a little to quickly, resulting in a head rush.

Carl grabs my shoulders. "You okay there?" He chuckles.

"Yeah." I stumble forward a little, and Carl steadies me. I put my hands on his shoulders, like his on mine, and I can't help but blush. He's strong, sturdy.

My vision clears, and I'm looking right at him. His blue eyes rest on my gray ones, looking right through me. He knows. He knows everything about me. And I love him for that.

"Carl?" Addie Fletcher calls from down below.

The two of us walk to the edge of the loft.

"Um, your mom is here. Oh, Amanda she needs you, too." Addie explains, pointing outside.

What? Why would Lori be here?

Carl and I climb down the ladder and walk out of the barn doors. Lori stands there. Her face is tight and pale, and I know immediately something is wrong. Shane Walsh's police cruiser as parked always off in the field, and I see Andrea standing with him.

"What is it?" Whispers Carl.

"Carl baby... Dads been shot."

* * *

Andrea has a grip like steel. She sits between Carl and me in the back of the police cruiser, her hand crushing mine. I didn't know I wasn't breathing until I almost passed out.

"Breath Amanda, breath." Andrea whispers.

Her voice sounds far away, as though I am underwater and she's at the surface, trying to speak to me.

"Lori, Amanda isn't breathing." Andrea panics.

"She's fine. Just in shock." I hear Shane say.

Carl. Carl is looking out the window. Pale. Tense.

"Carl." I whisper, "Carl, Carl."

He doesn't answer.

"Shhhh." Andrea holds my chin in place, so that I'm looking at her.

"Amy-" I start.

"She and Dale are already at the hospital." Andrea informs me.

"Rick. Rick, what about Rick?" I ask, my voice breaking.

Andrea doesn't answer. She just pulls me tightly to her chest and strokes my hair.

Well, wouldn't you know it, but that just makes me feel worse.

* * *

We must look like idiots, Carl and me. Just two thirteen-year-olds in the waiting room of the emergency room, with tear-smeared war paint on their faces and old work ties hanging loosely from their waists.

We lean our heads together as we sit on the uncomfortable couch. Our fingers intertwine together, and our legs are awkwardly woven together. We don't talk, him and me. Our throats are too dry.

We've been here for two hours now. Amy and Dale went to get us McDonalds a couple of minutes ago, and Andrea and Shane are in Rick's room with Lori.

Carl and I aren't allowed in. We haven't been given news. We just sit. And think. And touch. I guess.

A loud noise grabs my attention. Along with a lot of hushed talking and shushes.

Carl and I turn around, and what I see almost makes me laugh.

Addie's team and Chris's team are standing awkwardly in the hallway, their arms full of flowers and balloons and stuffed animals and fruit baskets.

"Hi." Carl's voice cracks as he gives a little wave to our friends.

"We brought you some stuff." Ryan says.

"I see that." I tell him. "You look ridiculous. I don't know how the nurses are going to feel about fifty children in war paint and Indian headdresses with five million presents sitting in the waiting room."

"Screw nurses. I'm making myself at home." Jacob shouts.

Our friends yell murmurs of agreement at the explosion of colors race into the waiting room. Jabbering and noise surrounds Carl and I, as the older kids come up to offer condolences.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" Shouts a feminine voice from behind us. A nurse wearing Whinnie-the-Pooh scrubs stares in shock at us from the hallway.

"Sup." Somebody says.

We stare at each other for a few minutes before the nurse sighs.

"Screw it. Make yourselves at home."

* * *

The waiting room has been turned into a giant slumber party. Bodies of sleeping children lay in heaps on the furniture and the floor. Carl and I sleep on the couch. He's pressed into the back and I'm pressed into his stomach. A single hospital blanket covers us.

"Amanda?" He whispers.

"Yeah Carl?"

"You awake?"

I sigh, "I think so."

"I'm scared." He whimpers.

Im in shock.

"W-what?"

"He's in a coma. They don't know if he'll come out of it!" Carl hisses.

"He will! He's the strongest man I know." I say.

"Bullshit. He's strong but it doesn't matter." Carl tells me.

"Carl Ross Grimes! Don't say that!" I hiss, trying not to wake up the other kids.

"You know it's true Amanda."

He's right. I have absolutely know idea if Rick will come out of it.

I tell him so.

He says nothing.

"I love you, Carl." I whisper.

"I love you, too Amanda."

**And boom! Chapter two! I think I might bump this up to a T for language... Do you think I should kill of Amy? **


End file.
